Enrollment
81
High
DISTRICT 112 · STATE 391
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 317719001634
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL
250 MAIN ST, STERLING, NE 68443 · (402) 866-4761 · Johnson County
GRADES 07–12HIGH42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL81 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
9.5:1
9 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.0:1 · STATE 10.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
36%
29 students
DISTRICT 39% · STATE 37%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 16 | 20% |
| Grade 8 | 10 | 12% |
| Grade 9 | 18 | 22% |
| Grade 10 | 11 | 14% |
| Grade 11 | 10 | 12% |
| Grade 12 | 16 | 20% |
Student demographics
22%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 16% · STATE 57% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
NSCAS 2024-25 . % On Track + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
65.0%
NE avg 57.6%
Math
60.0%
NE avg 60.6%
What this means: On the NSCAS, Nebraska's statewide test, about 65 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 60 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Nebraska schools, those numbers are about 58 and 61.
Source: NSCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
63.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
63.8%
based on NE schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.8pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 63% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 64% typical for Nebraska schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Nebraska's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like STERLING HIGH SCHOOL
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| STERLING HIGH SCHOOL this school | 81 | 35.8% | 63.0% |
| ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL ALLEN | 61 | 37.7% | 54.1% |
| WEEPING WATER HIGH SCHOOL WEEPING WATER | 86 | 33.7% | N/A |
| PAXTON HIGH SCHOOL PAXTON | 105 | 35.2% | N/A |
| NEWMAN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL NEWMAN GROVE | 85 | 40.0% | 62.1% |
| SHELBY - RISING CITY HIGH SCHOOL SHELBY | 112 | 38.4% | N/A |
Matched among Nebraska high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where STERLING HIGH SCHOOL ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 81 | #216 of 274 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
81
-8 (-9%) vs 2020
-22% since 1990-91, when it was 104
Student : Teacher
9.5:1
was 8.1:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 81 | 8.5 | 9.5:1 | 36% (29) |
| 2023-24 | 81 | 9.6 | 8.4:1 | 33% (27) |
| 2022-23 | 89 | 9.4 | 9.5:1 | 35% (31) |
| 2020-21 | 89 | 11 | 8.1:1 | 33% (29) |
| 2017-18 | 87 | 10.8 | 8.0:1 | 25% (22) |
| 2015-16 | 100 | 10 | 10.0:1 | 18% (18) |
| 2010-11 | 73 | 7 | 10.4:1 | 22% (16) |
| 2000-01 | 109 | 10 | 10.9:1 | 12% (13) |
| 1990-91 | 104 | 10 | 10.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for STERLING HIGH SCHOOL.
Since 2017-18: students down 7% (87 to 81); teachers down 21% (10.8 to 8.5).
About STERLING HIGH SCHOOL
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL is a small high school serving families in STERLING, Nebraska. Enrollment is 81 students in 2024-25, and the school serves grades 7 through 12. The average for high schools in Nebraska is about 391 students, so this school is 79% smaller than average.
STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS operates 2 schools. Combined enrollment is 224 students.
White students make up 88% of enrollment at STERLING HIGH SCHOOL. The remaining shares are 12% Hispanic. Census estimates put the White share of Johnson County's population at about 79%. Pick two students at random and there is a 22% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL operates with 8.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, a ratio of about 9.5:1. On average, high schools in Nebraska have 10.6:1, compared with 9.5:1 here. STERLING HIGH SCHOOL reports 36% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The gap from the 51% average for public schools in Johnson County is 15 points.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 63.8% for STERLING HIGH SCHOOL. The school posts 63.0%, within a point of the prediction.
Census Bureau estimates for Johnson County show that the median household income is $57,632, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18%, and roughly 6% of residents are in poverty. STERLING HIGH SCHOOL is one of 6 public schools in the county.
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the closest public school, less than a tenth of a mile away in a straight line. In all, 3 other public schools sit within ten miles of STERLING HIGH SCHOOL. Of the 7 nearby schools with scores, including this one, STERLING HIGH SCHOOL is 4th on average proficiency.
The school is in rural territory some distance from an urban area, according to its NCES locale (Rural: Distant).
The school enrolled 81 students in 2024-25, 8 fewer than the 89 it had in 2020-21. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 8.1:1 to 9.5:1.
Posts about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes are welcome on this page. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Johnson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
5,261
Census ACS
Median income
$57,632
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
6
724 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 143 students
Other Sterling High schools
6 other US public schools in 6 states are named Sterling High. STERLING HIGH SCHOOL is the 7th largest of the 7.
- Sterling High SchoolBAYTOWN, TX · 2,150 students
- Sterling High SchoolHOUSTON, TX · 1,146 students
- Sterling High SchoolSterling, IL · 999 students
- Sterling High SchoolSomerdale, NJ · 839 students
- Sterling High SchoolSTERLING, CO · 421 students
Nearby schools
- STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.0 mi · 143
- FREEMAN ELEMENTARY-ADAMS7.2 mi · 280
- FREEMAN HIGH SCHOOL7.2 mi · 220
- JOHNSON CO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL11.5 mi · 166
- JOHNSON CO CENTRAL EL-TECUMSEH11.5 mi · 158
- JOHNSON CO CENTRAL ELEM-COOK11.8 mi · 72
Frequently asked questions
About STERLING HIGH SCHOOLHow large is STERLING HIGH SCHOOL?
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL enrolls approximately 81 students in grades 07-12.
What age range does STERLING HIGH SCHOOL serve?
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL serves students from grade 07 through grade 12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at STERLING HIGH SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at STERLING HIGH SCHOOL is approximately 9.5:1 (9 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at STERLING HIGH SCHOOL?
At STERLING HIGH SCHOOL, the student body is approximately 88% White, 12% Hispanic.
Who oversees STERLING HIGH SCHOOL?
STERLING HIGH SCHOOL is overseen by STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS in Johnson County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.